Hydrant box and lid



2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Nov. l0, 1921 HH.. NNUU/fm, MNHN@ m 1 May 15, 1923.

G. M. HALL HYDRANT Box AND LID Filed Nov. l0, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lo Hz Patented May l5, i923.

GEORGE M. HALL, nncnnsnn,

IIild PIEN HYDRANT BOX AND LID.

Application filed November 10, 1921. Serial No. 514,427;

To all whom it may wacom.'

Be it known that (Mrs.) Annina QIIALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baird, in the county of Callahan and State of Texas, executrix of the last will and testament, of GEORGE M. HALL, late a citizen of the United States, resident of Baird, county of Callahan, and State of Texas, deceased, avers that the said GEORGE M. HALL invented new and useful Improvements in I'Iydrant Boxes and Lids, of which the following is a specification. -v

This invention relates to a safety selfclosing water hydrant box lid particularly adapted for use in railroad yards and be tween track rails, yas the ordinary hydrant box, for the purpose of supplying car tanks of various types with water. l

. The primary obfectof the invention is to provide a water hydrant box of the class specified ywithl a lid that may be readily opened for hydrant box service, and to so hinge the lid that it can be opened only to certain angle, and when released, will au-r tomatically fall and close the box, and thereby prevent the lid from remainingr open and producing a dangerous projection.

To accomplish the foregoing object and to Asubserve the advantages incident to the improvement, the hinge of the lid of the box consists essentially of a hingey bolt having` in vertical alinement below the same across stop holt or rod that will limit the opening movement of the lid, or dispose the same at such angle that it will. fall withoutrequiring manual attention., -It is proposed to make the parts of the box partially' of wood and ofv metal, or metal ory wood throughout, or in accordance with .boxes of this type as now ordinarily constructed and used. Furthermore, the box mayL be of any preferred shape and is not limited to exact contour, yet it is preferred that the same be rectangular in general outline. l

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the improved device taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2 and showing the lid member elevated or open;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved device; l

Fig. 3 is a longitudinalfvertical section on the line 3 8 of Fig. 4, showing the lid or cover open and illustrating a modification of the improved device;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the modified structure shown by Fig. 3;

. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section through the rear end of the box, showing a further modification, the lid or cover bemg open.

The numeral 5 in all of the figures of the drawings designates a box of suitable dimensions and of the form usually adopted in water hydrant boxes for railroad serv vice, or for installation in various parts of railroad yards or between the tracks, the box being adapted to enclose the supply terminal of a water pipe that usually has a valve of a type that may he readily manipulated to give a supply of water therefrom and to shut off the water after a proper interval. The box or body 5 may be of metal or wood, or any other material adapted for the purpose, and as heretofore in-v dicated, the essential feature of the invention consists of a lid or cover 6 which as shown by Figs. l and 2 is made in two sections 7 and S. As shown by Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the lid or cover 9 is of one piece,

both forms of the lid or cover snugly fit lthereof are formed with alined'grooves or recesses 12, which open through the lower sides of the said lid or cover sections and are closed by the clip 10, the latter serving also as a metal wear device. The grooves. or recesses 12 are engaged by a pivot or fulcrum bolt or rod 13 extending transversely through the upper portion of the box or body near the rear end wall of the latter, andvertically disposed below the bolt'or rod 13 is a stop bolt or rod 14, which also extends transversely through the upper p0rtion of the box 'or body 5. Adjacent to the front end of the box or body 5 a transverse supporting bolt or rod 15 is inserted transversely through the upper portion of the device to serve as a means for supporting the free or unhinged front end of the lid or cover 6. Near the free end of the lid or cover 6 and secured against the underside thereof by bolts or analogous astenings 16 is a metal strip 17 extending vfully across the sections and serving as a weight means for insuring a dropor Lfall of the lid or cover when the latter is released. In viewv of theweight strip 17 the sections 7 and 8v have a central opening 18 formed therein, to facilitate raising'the lid or cover bythe insertion in the said opening of a suitable implement adaptedior the purpose.

In the 'forni of the device shown by Figs.

'3 and 4 the lid or cover is shown as having less thickness, and secured to the underside thereoi' on opposite sides of the longitudinal center are fulcrum brackets 19 vwhich have alined openings 20 therethrough,

- for the reception of a transverse pivot or fulcrumI bolt or rod 21, and the rear ends of said brackets v19 are recessed or stepped, as at 22, to bear upon .astop rod 23 kpositioned similarly to the rod 14 heretofore described and serving the same' purpose. In the upper 'portion of the front of the kbox or body 5 a transverse stop or restV rod 24 is transversely inserted through the sides of the box and is exposed for engagement similar operation. yof either forni ofthe box is raised, it is by the front end of the lid or cover 9 when the latter is closed. The lid or cover 9 in the form of the device shown by Figs. 3 and 4.also has acentral opening 25 similar to thev opening 18, yfor facilitating the open# ing operation ofthe lid or cover 9.

In the form ofthe deviceshown `by Fig.

`5, the rear end of the lid or cover 9 has a device illustrated by Figs; 1 to 4, inclusive.

, The improved box in all its forms has 'lhen the lid or cover prevented lfrom being thrown back or rearwardly of aA vertical plane through the pivot bolt or'rod for the lid or cover by the stop or check rod 23, and thel latter isso disposed relatively to the pivot bolt or vrod that the lid or cover in each instance will be held at -a .forward angle of inclination,

or be poised in such manner that it will in stantly fall when released and A close the box or body.v This ldisposition of the lid or cover in theseveral forms of the hydrant box will prevent accidents 'that might-ensue il the 'lid or cover was permitted to stand upwardly, or by neglect after use Lremain open. It is obvious that there is no ossible way of overcoming the tendency ot the improved lid or cover to automatically i at all times automatically close whenl released, and during the time that the hydrant box and the water connections therein are in service, or used for supplying water'to tanks or receptaclesin cars, thelid or cover will 'be heldy open, and aftter disconnection of the pipe connectionsv from the hydrant or box, the 'lid or cover will assumey its nor-4 mal v closed position;

The `improved water hydrant lbox4i with the automatically closing ,lid may factured at a comparatively small cost, and

in view of the advantages'of. thevgravitatf ing'v lid or cover, the additional. cost thatmay be necessary' to equip the hydrant box with the improvement will be negligible when compared with' the aversion of accidents incident to a lid or cover oi hydrant boxes of this character that maybe allowed to remain open or have to be manually closed afteruse. Y l What is claimed as enew is: ,y f

1. A yhydrantboxy of theclass specified, c'omprisinga'lid or cover,A a pivot rodifor the lid or cover, .anda stop rod disposed vertically 'below' the pivotfr'od and'serving` to preventgthe lid' or cover being'- opened rearwardly beyond a pre-determined 'diss tance and'insure 'an automaticgravitating closureof the lid orco-ver when" releas'edfv 2. A'hydrant box of `the `class specified, having a lidor cover provided with a pivot lbe in'afnudevice, and a stop rod extending acrossthe box in vertical alinement vwith and belowv the pivot ldevice of the lid or ,co-ver to cn'-` gage a part of the latter adjacent to the rear edge thereof. f.

1 In testimony whereof I have hereunto set witnesses.' l v y n L Mspanzigeii 1c. HALL, -fdmmz'stmr/x of the estate of George M.

all, deceased.

Witnessesr p p N. W. KIRBY l f v d inf presence of two subscribing 

